Justice News

Fayetteville Man Sentenced For Drug Distribution

RALEIGH - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court today Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced MAJOR RAY BROWN, 30, to 132 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years supervised release.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a six-count Criminal Indictment on April 24, 2012. On December 10, 2012, BROWN pled guilty to Distribution of a Quantity of Cocaine Base (Crack), in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a), and to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(iii).

According to the investigation, BROWN trafficked crack/cocaine and firearms in Fayetteville from at least August 2010 to December 2011. On several occasions within this period of time, BROWN sold crack/cocaine and firearms to confidential informants working under the direction of law enforcement.

The first controlled purchase of a firearm and crack/cocaine from BROWN was conducted on August 9, 2010, less than one week after BROWN attended a Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) “Call-In” in Fayetteville. At the Call-In, BROWN and other felony probationers were educated on federal firearms laws and warned of the consequences of their actions should they continue to engage in crimes involving drugs, firearms, or violence. Offenders in attendance were also encouraged to become productive members of their communities, and were provided with information regarding job training and educational opportunities, housing, and public assistance.

This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified “team effort” against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fayetteville Police Department, and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Toby Lathan represented the government.